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NSFW

What Does NSFW Mean?

NSFW means "Not Safe For Work". It is typically sent in the title of an email to let the recipient know that the email should not be opened in a work environment. NSFW can also be sent in the body of an email (or any online conversation) near an URL that directs to content deemed unsuitable for the work environment.

The meaning of NSFW spans from "this has nothing to do with work" to "don't get caught by your boss looking at this".

Summary of Key Points

"Not Safe for Work" is the most common definition for NSFW on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Here is some more information about NSFW:

An Image for NSFW

The image shows a man being berated by his boss for opening a file that was NSFW.

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Examples of NSFW in Sentences

Here are some examples of NSFW being used in sentences:

NSFW. This girl is hilarious! [URL].

Have you seen this? [URL] NSFW.

An Academic Look at NSFW

NSFW is an initialism abbreviation. Technically, this means it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., En Ess Eff Dublyu), but as this is harder to say than "not safe for work," it is not said using its letters. In other words, the abbreviation NSFW is for efficiency in writing and not efficiency in speech. (Initialisms contrast with acronyms, which are spoken like words.)

NSFW is typically used as a standalone declarative sentence, the full meaning of which is "This is not safe for work." Occasionally, it is used as a subject complement. For example:

This link is NSFW.

(Here, This link is the subject, is is the linking verb, and NSFW is the subject complement.)